Diesel Fuel Additive Packages

History of the development of diesel fuel additive packages:

Until the 1970s there was little or no use of additives in automotive diesel fuel.  The product manufactured at most refineries around the world was generally a blend of straight run atmospheric distillate components and, apart from sulphur content, the specification points could be met without the need for further processing or the use of additives.  In the U.S., where the enormous gasoline market had necessitated a high level of downstream conversion to yield more gasoline components, some cracked gas oils went into diesel fuel.

Routine use of diesel fuel additives effectively started in the late 1960s in Europe, with the introduction of cold flow improvers.  With the largest proportion of diesel-powered road vehicles of any world region, the growth in demand for diesel fuel was starting to pose problems for the refining industry.  The supply situation was further aggravated by the crude oil price rises during the 1970s.  Although total demand for petroleum products went down, refiners had to increase the yield of diesel fuel while reducing crude throughput.  The use of flow improvers enabled the refiner to produce more diesel fuel by cutting deeper into the crude oil and using the additive to restore the cold properties of the fuel.

Other additive types are now being used in diesel fuel, as more refineries have been obliged to move towards the typical pattem in the U.S., with downstream conversion units to increase the yield of “clean” products by cracking the fractions used for heavy fuel oil, for which there is a decreasing demand.

More low-cetane material is being diverted into automotive diesel fuel because it can no longer be absorbed by the shrinking market for domestic heating oil.  This necessitates occasional use of an ignition improver to bring the cetane number on specification.

An additional factor influencing the trends in additive use is a growing awareness of the need for fuel product differentiation in the market.  lt is common practice in many countries for oil companies to exchange and re-brand products to keep down the costs of fuel transportation, the exchanged product being accepted on the basis of an agreed specification and marketed as such.  Nowadays, further additive treatment may be made before an exchanged fuel is sold, in order to support the marketing company's advertising claims for a product of superior quality to those of its competitors.  This practice has been widely adopted in Europe and other parts of the world.

Additive treatment of diesel fuels is usually by weight and expressed either in parts per million (ppm) or as a percentage, where 0. 1 % is equal to 1 000 ppm.

Formulating a package:

Method:

When formulating a package in the laboratory, the most viscous product is added first, followed by the next most viscous.  The solvents are added last.  This is done for practical reasons.  If too much of a viscous product is added, it can easy be removed.  If solvent is added first, then too much of a viscous product is added, the chemist has to start again.  However, in manufacturing, solvent would be added first (a).

Common Ingredients:

Antifoam:

Antifoams are used in most diesel additive packages to help speed up or to allow more complete filling of vehicle tanks.  Their use also minimizes the likelihood of fuel splashing on the ground or onto clothing, avoiding the nuisance of stains and unpleasant odour, and reducing the risk of spills polluting the ground and the atmosphere (2).  Diesel fuel packages do not appear to be used by supermarkets selling diesel fuel because it increases the cost of the fuel.

Antifoams are dosed at a rate of 1-4% in packages, with the smallest amount used in winter and the largest in summer(d).  In testing our antifoams, we used 7.5 ppm to 30 ppm calculated on diesel fuel.  The "dilution effect" is not an important consideration because most packages only contain about 2% antifoam.  Therefore, the dilution effect is already present.  The antifoam package is dosed in diesel fuel at about 800 ppm.

Antioxidants & Stabilisers:

These are free radical scavengers.  They are sterically hindered phenols and they are used to interrupt the radical oxidation process.

Antioxidants used in diesel fuels are usually hindered phenols that prevent high-temperature gum-forming reactions.  Stabilizers are amines or other nitrogen-containing basic compounds that prevent sediment formation at ambient temperature by interfering with acid/base reactions.  These additive types are not normally used in diesel fuel prepared from straight-run components but, if it contains cracked gas oil, protection may be desirable, especially if the fuel is likely to be in storage for a lengthy period.

The same types of antioxidant are used in diesel fuels and gasolines to prevent high-temperature reactions, but stabiliser additives are more specific in their action and need to be selected to suit the particular fuel to be treated.

Antioxidant/stabiliser additives react with peroxy radicals in unstable fuel, thereby suppressing the radical propagation reaction that would normally occur.

The effectiveness of additive treatment will depend very much on the dominant fuel characteristics that determine the degradation reactions.  The choice of additive is generally decided by trial-and-error to find out which is best for the particular fuel. Treating levels are usually in the range of 25 to 200 ppm(2).

Cetane improver:

Cetane improvers are used to increase the cetane number of a diesel fuel by reducing the delay between injection and ignition when fuel is sprayed into the combustion chamber.  Several types of chemicals - alkyl nitrates, ether nitrates, nitroso compounds and certain peroxides - have been identified as effective cetane improvers.  They are all materials that decompose readily and, at elevated temperatures, generate free-radicals that accelerate oxidation of the fuel and initiate combustion (2).  Commercial and safe handling considerations have resulted in most attention being given to primary alkyl nitrates.  However, the RCEP believes that alkyl nitrates may contribute to the formulation of nitrogenated PAH’s which are known carcinogens.

In refineries, cetane improvers are used mainly to give fairly modest improvements of 2 or 3 numbers, to bring off-grade fuel blends in specification.  This would require additive treat levels in the 500 to 1000 ppm range.  This type of additive is used in some multifunctional additive packages, where the proportions will give a cetane improver treat level of around 500 ppm.

Corrosion inhibitors:

Some multifunctional additive packages contain corrosion inhibitor to protect the vehicle fuel system.  Corrosion inhibitors are surfactant materials having a polar group at one end and an oleophilic/hydrophobic group at the other.  The polar group attaches itself to metal surfaces in the system, while the other group repels water and provides an oily layer to prevent rust formation.  Some corrosion inhibitors contain chlorine, while some do not as chlorine is banned in some countries.  There is a possible relationship between corrosion inhibitors and demulsifiers such that more demulsifier has to be used in chlorine containing corrosion inhibitors.  A wide range of chemical types are used as anticorrosion additives.  They include esters or amine salts of alkenyl succinic acids, alkyl orthophosphoric acids, alkyl phosphoric acids and aryl sulphonic acids(2).

Co-solvent:

2-ethylhexanol is used as a co-solvent to dissolve some antifoams before putting them into the package.  If too much needs to be used, then the finished product is priced out of the market.  The use of 2-ethylhexanol could be a problem at some companies because it is considered to be toxic.

Dehazers:

Dehazer treatment may occasionally be needed if the fuel becomes hazy due to the presence of finely dispersed droplets of water.  Contamination with water can occur at almost any stage, as the fuel passes from the refinery and through the distribution network until it reaches the vehicle tank.  It can be the result of dissolved water coming out of solution or condensing from the air when the temperature falls, leakage of rain water into the tank, or entrainment of water accumulated in storage tank bottoms.  The situation may be aggravated by the characteristics of the fuel or the type of additives it contains, and by excessive turbulence in the pumping system.

If the haze persists after the normal 1 or 2 days settling time, additive treatment may be necessary to accelerate clearance and meet the usual “clear and bright” requirement.  Effective dehazer additives include quaternary ammonium salts, typically used at dose rates between 5 and 20 ppm.

As hazy fuel tends to be a spot problem, the practical approach is for alternative additives to be tested on-site, in cold samples drawn directly from the affected tank.  Samples taken away for testing will usually have cleared by the time they reach the laboratory because of a temperature change or contact with the sample container.

A demulsifier may be included when detergent/dispersant additives are used, to avoid problems due to pick-up of storage tank bottoms.  Entrainment of water and debris in pipelines and during product transfer might result in the formation of stable emulsions and suspended matter which could plug filters or otherwise make the fuel unacceptable(2).

Demulsifiers:

Demulsifiers are highly surface-active chemicals selected for their limited solubility in oil and water.  They are usually prepared by reacting a hydrophobic molecule such as a long chain alkylphenol with ethylene or propylene oxide.  The effectiveness of different additive types and treat rates can be checked using the 10-cycle multiple contact test in which a small amount of water is successively agitated with ten portions of fuel to represent repeated filling and emptying of a storage tank.  The assessment is based on the amount of emulsion and suspended matter at the oil/water interface.  Typical treating levels are generally not more than 10 ppm(2).

Detergents (surfactants, dispersants):

Detergent additives are considered to be of growing importance in controlling the formation of fuel deposits where they can have a detrimental effect on combustion.  Gummy deposits in the fuel injection system can cause sticking of injector needles, resulting in misfires, power loss and increased smoke.  The build up of lacquer and carbonaceous deposits on injector tips can affect the amount of fuel injected and the spray pattern, causing problems of reduced power and higher smoke.  Starting may also become more difficult.

Detergents for diesel fuels are of the same chemical type as those used in gasolines - amines, amides, imidazolines, etc.  These are surfactant additives with a polar group at one end that forms a barrier film on metal or particulate surfaces while a nonpolar, oleophilic group at the other end dissolves in the fuel.  Particulates are effectively solubilised and prevented from agglomerating by the film formed around them.  In the same way, metal surfaces are protected against deposit formation. The function of the detergent additive also gives some antirust protection.  Polymeric dispersants are sometimes used in conjunction with detergents to help in the dispersion of particulate matter.

The choice of additive type and treat rate will be determined by the characteristics of the fuel and also whether the requirement is “keep clean” or “clean up” performance.  A higher treat rate or a more effective additive is usually needed to clean up dirty injectors.  Treat rates to control deposits on new or cleaned injectors are in the 100 to 200 ppm range.

Polymeric dispersants are often used to complement the role of the detergent additive.  Chemically the dispersants are relatively high molecular weight materials, generally either alkenyl succinimides or hydrocarbyl amines.  Recommended treat rates are around 200 ppm for the succinimides and up to three times that amount for the hydrocarbyl amines(2).

Flow Improver:

Flow improvers are used to improve the flow of fuel especially in winter.  They are usually added at a rate of 50 to 700 ppm.  In diesel fuel wax crystals form macrocrystalline structures on cooling that permeate through the whole of the fuel, causing it to form a solid gel.  Flow improvers, such as ethylenevinylacetate copolymer, are designed to co-crystalize with the paraffin wax on cooling, disrupting the crystalline structure of paraffin wax..  The effect is that the wax crystals remain very small and well dispersed within the distillate fuel.  That means diesel remains fluid to temperatures below the original operability and pour point temperatures(a).

Lubricity additives:

Lubricity additives are acid type components such as alkenyl carboxylic acids and amino esters.  The process of reducing the amount of sulphur in diesel fuel to 0.05% removes other polar compounds which had lubricating properties.  This has lead to increased wear in injection systems with significant deterioration in fuel pump performance resulting in poor drivability, increased emissions and, in some cases, pump failure.  Lubricity additives are therefore used to replace the lubricating properties and prevent wear in the diesel fuel pumps.

Re-odourant:

As the odour of diesel fuel is considered objectionable by many people, odour masks are occasionally employed to improve the market acceptability of some branded diesel fuels.  Because diesel fuel is less volatile than gasoline, the stain and smell of spills will persist, which can be very annoying, particularly if clothing is contaminated.  Attitudes to smells vary widely and are subjective, but odour panel tests suggest that the market preference is for a neutral rather than a positive odour, which puts the emphasis mainly on odour-masking effects.  Various products, with a choice of fragrances, are commercially available for use at treating rates of 1 0 to 20 ppm(2).

Solvents:

Solvents are used in all packages to dissolve the ingredients.

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Advanced Control Concepts in Industrial Boiler Control

By Rob Kambach
Senior technical specialist,Invensys Foxboro

Tips for burner modulation, air/fuel cross-limiting, excess-air regulation, oxygen trim, and total heat control Boilers are often the principal steam or hotwater generators in industrial plants or commercial buildings. Consequently, they must be designed to operate efficiently and safely while responding rapidly to demand changes. Burner-management systems must be equally adaptive. Control techniques from several manufacturers are capable of reducing operating costs while providing resources for greater flexibility in plant management and control. Burner combustion control generally includes one or a combination of methods: regulation of excess air, oxygen trim, burner modulation, air/fuel cross-limiting, and total heat control. Be sure when shopping for a control system, these items are included.

Excess-Air Regulation

In actual practice, gas-, oil-, coal-burning, and other systems do not do a perfect job of mixing the fuel and air even under the best achievable conditions. Additionally, complete mixing may be a lengthy process. Figure 1 shows that to ensure complete combustion and reduce heat loss, excess air has to be kept within a suitable range. The regulation of excess air provides:

· A better boiler heat-transfer rate.

· An “advance warning” of flue-gas problems (excess air coming out of the zone of maximum efficiency).

· Substantial savings on fuel.

FIGURE 1. To Ensure complete combustion and reduce heat loss, excess air must be kept within a suitable range

Oxygen Trim

When a measurement of oxygen in the flue gas is available, the combustion control mechanism can be vastly improved (because the percentage of oxygen in flues is closely related to the amount of excess air) by adding an oxygen trim-control module, allowing:

· Tighter control of excess air to oxygen setpoint for better efficiency.

· Faster return to setpoint following disturbances.

· Tighter control over flue emissions.

· Compliance with emissions standards.

· Easy incorporation of carbon monoxide or opacity override.

Burner Modulation

Modulating control is a basic improvement in controlling combustion. A controller monitoring the steam or hot-water line generates a continuous control signal. Reductions in steam pressure or hot-water temperature lead to an increase in firing rate. The advantages of introducing burner modulation in combustion control include:

· Fuel and air requirements are continuously matched to the combustion demand.

· Steam pressure or hot-water temperature is maintained within closer tolerances.

· Better boiler efficiency.

· The weighted average flue-gas temperature is lower.

Air/fuel Cross-Limiting

A cross-limiting combustion-control strategy ensures that there can never be a dangerous ratio of air and fuel within a combustion process. This is implemented by always raising the airflow before allowing the fuel flow to increase, or by lowering the fuel flow before allowing the airflow to drop.

FIGURE 2. Depiction of cross-limitingcombustion circuit. The firing of multiplefuels simultaneously can be accommodated within this scheme.

Figure 2 depicts a simplified control block diagram of the cross-limiting combustion circuit. Combination firing of multiple fuels simultaneously can be easily accommodated within the scheme.

Cross-limiting combustion control is highly effective and can easily provide the following:

· Optimization of fuel consumption.

· Safer operating conditions by reducing the risk of explosion.

· Fast adaptation to variations in fuel and air supplies.

· Satisfaction of the plant steam demand.

Applying additional dynamic limits to air and fuel setpoints can achieve additional savings by having the actual air/fuel ratio maintained within a preset band during and after transition. This protects against having the demand signal driving the air/fuel ratio too lean, therefore reducing heat loss.

Boiler-Drum-Level Control

Boiler-drum-level control includes two-and-three-element-drum-level control and enhanced three-element drum-level control. Boiler-drum-level control is critical for both plant protection and equipment safety and applies equally to high and low levels of water within the boiler drum.

The purpose of the drum-level-controller is to bring the drum up to level at boiler start-up and maintain the level at constant steam load. A dramatic decrease in this level may uncover boiler tubes, allowing them to become overheated and damaged. An increase in this level may interfere with the process of separating moisture from steam within the drum, thus reducing boiler efficiency and carrying moisture into the process or turbine. The three main options available for drumlevel control are:

1. Single-Element Drum-Level Control

This is the simplest but least effective form of drum-level control. This consists of proportional signal or process variable (PV) signal coming from the drum-level transmitter. This signal is compared to a setpoint, and the difference is a deviation value.

This signal is acted upon by the controller which generates corrective action in the form of a proportional output. The output is then passed to the boiler feedwater valve, which then adjusts the level of feedwater flow into the boiler drum.

Some key points to remember when using single-element drum-level control:

· Only one analog input and one analog

· Can only be applied to single boiler/single-feed-pump configurations with relatively stable loads since there is no relationship between drum level and steam or feedwater flow.

· Possible inadequate control option because of the swell effect.

FIGURE 3. Drum-level control with two-element module

FIGURE 4. Drum-level controlwith a single-element module.

FIGURE 5. Drum-level control with athree-element module.

2. Two-element drum-level control.

The two-element drum-level controller can best beapplied to a single drum boiler where the feedwater is at a constant pressure. The two elements are made up of the following:

· Level element, a proportional signal or PV coming from the drum transmitter. This signal is compared to a setpoint, and the result is a deviation value. This signal is acted upon by the controller, which generates corrective action in the form of a proportional value.

· Steam-flow element, a mass-flow rate signal (corrected for density) is used to control the feedwater flow, giving immediate corrections to feedwater demand in response to load changes. The level controller corrects any inbalance between steam mass flow out and feedwater mass flow into the drum. This imbalance can arise from:
- Blowdown variations caused by changes in dissolved solids.
- Variations in feedwater supply pressure.
- Leaks in the steam circuit.

Some key points to remember when using two-element drum level control:

· There is tighter control of the drum level than with only one element.

· Steam flow acts as a feed-forward signal to allow faster level adjustments.

· Can best be applied to singleboiler/single-feed-pump configurations with a constant feedwater pressure.

3. Three-Element Drum-Level Control

The three-element drum-level control is ideally suited where a boiler plant consists of multiple boilers and multiple feedwater pumps or where the feedwater has variations in pressure or flow. The three elements of this system are the level, steam, and feedwater-flow elements.

The level and steam elements team correct for unmeasured disturbances within the system such as:

· Boiler blowdown.

· Boiler and superheater tube leaks.

The feedwater-flow elements responds rapidly to variations in feedwater demand, either from the:

· Steam-flow-rate feed-forward signal.

· Feedwater pressure or flow fluctuations.

To achieve optimum control, both steam and feedwater flow values should be corrected for density. Some key points to remember when using three-element drum-level control:

· This system provides tighter control for drum level with fluctuating steam loads. It is ideal where a system suffers from fluctuating feedwater pressure or flow.

· A more sophisticated level of control required.

· Additional input for feedwater flow is required.

FIGURE 6. With demand sharing, the firing rate of the modulating boiler increases until the load requires an additional boiler. At this point,the additional boiler is started and becomes the modulating boiler.

To level control over wide ranges of steam demand, the three-element mode is used during high steam demand. The two-element mode is used if the steam-flow measurement fails and the module falls back to single-element level control if the feedwater-flow measurement should fail or if there is a low steam demand.

Demand-Load Scheduling

One of the primary goals in operating a boiler plant is to ensure that the working steam pressure (or temperature in hot-water systems) is sustainable for any load demand placed on the plant. At the same time, this requirement must be met as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Some valuable features of demandload scheduling are:

· Operator selection of baseload or modulating operation.

· Parallel or serial demand sharing.

· Boiler banking.

· Eight-day timer.

· Multi-sequence program selection.

In a multi-boiler plant, this can be achieved through the implementation of demand-load management, the purpose of which is to distribute the steam demand in an optimized manner and to adjust the boiler-plant output to meet working requirements. This ensures that boilers are fired only when required, thus reducing running costs. Alternatively, demandload management can allow each boiler to be allocated the same amount of running time.

Demand-load management should offer the following:

· The demand share arrangement allows each boiler to be operated in either base-load or modulating service. This allows to system to utilize the best distribution of load between the boilers and result in the lowest overall cost. The base-load operation leaves the implementation up to the operator. In this mode, the total demand is shared between the base-load boilers in proportion to the operator-set base-load values. The modulating mode of operation, on the other hand, enforces automatically the load allocation without the need for operator intervention. The total demand, less that satisfied by the base-load boilers, is shared between the modulating boilers in proportion to their capacities. The flexibility of the control module is such that one combination of boiler modes can be applied dynamically to the boiler plant.

· Effective load allocation is based on real-time calculations taking into account operating safety margins, load fluctuations, required shut-down characteristics, and boiler capacities.

· Demand-sharing methodology may also be implemented – in parallel or series – depending on plant requirements. In parallel, the available boilers share the total demand simultaneously by taking up an equal firing rate to meet the load. On load increase, the firing rate of all modulating boilers will increase equally until the load requires an additional boiler. At this point, the firing rate of the active boilers decreases to compensate for the firing rate of the newly started boiler. Figure 6 illustrates the process for an increase in load.

· Parallel modulation is generally implemented for steam boilers. It offers the most effective control when relatively steady process loads are available. As the system modulates the boiler plant to adjust the common header pressure to the required setpoint, a smoother response to changing load conditions is performed by the controller.

· Series demand sharing allocates loads by normally forcing one boiler at a time to modulate to satisfy the demand. On load increase, the firing rate of the modulating boiler will increase until the load requires an additional boiler. At this point, a new boiler is started and becomes the modulating boiler. The other active boilers are ramped to their optimum firing rate.

Series modulation is generally implemented for hot-water systems or fluctuating steam loads. This mode allows faster individual boiler response to plant conditions as the boiler pressure is adjusted to the required setpoint. The boilers that are chosen to always run are referred to as the “lead” boilers. All the other boilers are “lag” boilers but are prioritized so that a boiler with a high priority always runs before a boiler with a low priority and so on (i.e., the most effective boiler is always started first, and the least effective one is always stopped first).

Boiler banking keeps the available boilers in hot standby mode until required to fire. This is achieved by intermittently firing the unused boilers, thus maintaining a required pressure by use of upper and lower banking thresholds or by recirculating the return water through the boilers to keep them hot. The main advantage of boiler banking is that it acts as a “warm”-start facility, improving the plant response to sudden load changes.

Remember that demand-load management is an optimizing function that augments, but does not replace, the combustion-control system.

Conclusion

Taken together, burner modulation, air/fuel cross-limiting, excess-air regulation, oxygen trim, and total heat control, can provide excellent control and fuel efficiency for most boiler systems.

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Go Green!!!

Top Environmental Issues

The world cannot go a day without having new problems. Disasters, social issues and pandemics are only a few of them. But what continues to haunt humans daily is the fact that the environment is slowly deteriorating everyday. Environmental issues cloud over the hope and future of generations to come. Although efforts have been made they don’t seem to be enough. Here are the issues that top the heart-breaking list:

§ Climate change – Global warming is as popular as a box-office hit movie. It’s because it’s a clear shot of every human being’s abuse to the environment. And the ripple effect of climate change is so massive that practically everything is affected. It has brought about more storms, more deadly diseases, extreme weather, earthly disasters such as floods and heat waves, and it has also brought about plant and animal extinction.

§ Overpopulation – It cannot be denied that there is a link between overpopulation and poverty. Poor countries become poorer and the gap between the privileged and those suffering from paucity has gotten bigger. Many have become promiscuous but refuse to practice safe sex or lobby for reproductive health in fear of going against church beliefs.

§ Big oil vs. renewable energy – While there’s an abundant source of renewable energy from the sun, the wind and the earth, many still produce energy from fossil fuels because big oil companies seem to dominate the economy. So there are those who refuse to subsidize research and harvesting of renewable energy from natural sources. Energy production from fossil fuel continues to cause harmful gas emissions that lead to global warming.

§ Endangered species – Many plants and animals are threatened to extinction because of climate change and aquatic and land mass abuse. The African elephant, the bald eagle and the golden toad are only a few of what we might not be able to see anymore in the years to come. Species extinction can badly affect the food chain and the whole environment itself.

Green It and Love It

Does being a green home owner have an appealing ring to it? Whether you’re thinking of having an old kitchen or bedroom renovated or planning to build a healthy home, there’s one advice from modern-day architects and contractors you won’t regret: “green it!”

If you’re tearing things apart in your existing home, take the opportunity to identify pre-existing toxicity problems. A certified indoor air quality inspector may be of help to you in this aspect. When you’ve looked at the blueprint for your healthy home and you’re determined to proceed and green it, one of the things you also need to do is to collate a list of suppliers and home improvement stores which can provide many environmentally friendly products like non-toxic paints. Do you feel like you lack the resources or expertise to make well-informed choices leading to the building of your healthy home? Check out websites, or get recommendations from architect-friends.

For your kitchen or bathroom, don’t forget to have a vent installed to pull in fresh air from the outside. Prioritize cross ventilation so you can enjoy natural heat and cooling as much as you can. For your cabinets and shelves, find less toxic materials. Products made from bamboo are worthy options. Thinking about carpeting? Carpets easily collect dust mites and dander, impeding easy breathing. Better alternatives are bamboo flooring, cork or hardwood with a throw rug made of natural fibers.

When construction of your home is completed, take additional steps to constantly green it by using eco-friendly cleaning products. Replace appliances that don’t run efficiently. The wrong refrigerator, tv, or microwave oven may not make you sick, but those that consume much energy contribute to air pollution and global climate change.

Simple Tips on How to Go Green

Going green is a phrase you hear more often these days. It’s because people have finally come to realize that they should help save the environment in their own little ways instead of waiting for the government or environmental groups to do everything. Some don’t realize that it’s a person’s over-all lifestyle and daily demands that have piled up to all the inhuman practices which cause global warming. Yes, there are natural phenomena, but most environmental issues and disasters are still human-induced. So how do you start going green? Here are 3 useful tips that will help cut back on carbon emissions, save more money, and also restore your health.

§ Cut back on energy consumption- It is wise to do outdoor activities again instead of staying on the couch all day and watching TV or fiddling with your computer. You get to save a lot of energy and also reduce your risk of obesity. Always turn off appliance and unplug them when not in use. You’ll save about 30% of energy in a year. And continue to upgrade them. Change your light bulbs to smart energy-saving bulbs. They give more light and consume less energy. And use lap top computers instead of PC’s. Believe it or not they consume 90% less energy if you maximize the battery.

§ Take a walk and eat smart – Walk to work or to any short distance destination. You’ll cut back on around 8,000 pounds of carbon emission annually if you let your car rest more often. Walking won’t hurt you and will better your cardiovascular health. Also, take organic food and eat low on the food chain. Have as many meatless days possible.

§ Save water and counter global warming – Shower for shorter periods of time and use low-flow showerheads to save water. Have drought-tolerant plants in the garden so you don’t have to water them all the time, and don’t forget to plant a tree. If global warming seems hard to runaway from, then to something to counter it gradually. A tree eats up carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during photosynthesis. Planting a tree is like installing a lifetime air cleaner.

Green Living Tips for Today’s Young People

In today’s ecologically conscious world, many smart young people are heeding the green living tips offered by parents and older peers. The benefits are clear. Eco-friendly products translate to huge cost savings and minimize harm to the environment.

So how do today’s young people show they care for the environment? Let’s start with modern commuting trends. If you’re college-bound kid is not the lucky recipient of an environmentally friendly car (as a graduation or birthday gift), then chances are, he/she may be taking public transportation (which is good) or driving the traditional car. Don’t look now but ingenious minds have devised an online social rideshare and carpool matching system that uses a popular social networking site to hook riders up with drivers en route to a common destination.

For the young ladies in the family who love to shop, green living tips they may have gravitated to include bringing their own eco tote bag so as not to amass more plastic bags than can be reused at home. In so doing, young gals (and their shopaholic moms, too) get to save lots of trees and keep plastic bags out of landfills.

Young ones also contribute to resource conversation by keeping in mind other green living tips like taking quick showers, buying and using products – like organic cosmetics -- that do not contain synthetic substances, as well as clothes and accessories made of organic cotton or hemp. Switching off room lights and computer equipment (including the monitor) when not in use and going for green food options are likewise some of the ways to lessen the eco footprint.

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